Medical Reviewer: Jordan P. Roberts, PA-C
Audio Digest CME vs BoardVitals
[comparison & review]
If you are currently deciding between spending your CME money on Audio Digest CME vs BoardVitals, this article is for you.
Audio Digest CME & BoardVitals Head-to-Head
The deadline to spend your CME money seems to be able to sneak up out of nowhere. That’s why never too early (or late) to narrow down your CME choices.
Two of the most popular options out there are BoardVitals and Audio Digest. If you are currently deciding between Audio Digest CME vs BoardVitals CME, we’re here to help.
We’ve personally tried both options, and (spoiler), they are each fantastic in their own way.
Depending on your individual situation and learning preferences, one might be better than the other for you. Here’s our experience and a breakdown to help you decide.
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Audio Digest CME vs Board Vitals Quick Comparison
| Features | Audio Digest | Board Vitals |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 CME Hours | 4300+ | Up to 100 |
| CME with Gift Card | Up to $2,000 Amazon or Bank of America | Up to $3,000 Amazon or Visa |
| Specialties Covered | 17+ | 35+ |
| Pricing | From $999 (with discount) to $4,998 (with $3,000 gift card) | From $3,800 (with $2,000 gift card) to $5,450 (with $3,000 gift card) |
| Devices & Technology | Desktop, Android, iOS | Desktop, Android, iOS |
Audio Digest CME vs Board Vitals Quick Comparison
General Overview
State CME Requirements?
CME Coach™ easily identifies state requirements by specialty
Collection of programs meeting 27 state-level requirements
CME with Gift Card Option
Yes; up to $3,000 Amazon or Visa Card
Yes; up to $2,000 Amazon or Bank of America
Earn CME on Which Devices?
Desktop, Android, iOS
Desktop, Android, iOS
Pricing: 2 Year Access
From $3,800 (with $2,500 gift card) to $5,450 (with $3,000 gift card)
From $999 (with discount) to $4,998 (with $3,000 gift card)
Our Rating
BoardVitals Summary
Key Features:
- Earn up to 100 CME credits, depending on specialty
- Practice thousands of board-style questions & explanations
- Covers 30+ specialties on desktop, tablet, and a new mobile app
- CME subscription options of up to 24 months
- Gift card up to $3,000
BoardVitals CME Pro Plus
BoardVitals is a unique and engaging way to earn CME.
Their collection of medical question banks cover nearly every specialty and can be completed on any device.
The questions are board-style, many of them interesting and thought-provoking case-based vignettes.
Choose test mode where you can fly through dozens of questions in no time.
Or, use practice mode to answer questions and read the explanations right away if that’s more your style.
That’s the way I do it so that I don’t forget the point of the first question by the time I’ve finished another fifty.
BoardVitals CME can be completed online or on their mobile app and the credits you earn are automatically calculated and tracked.
It really is the fastest and easiest way to earn all your CME for the year.
One potential drawback is the app, while interactive and engaging, is not meant for point-of-care usage.
If you are looking to earn CME at the point-of-care, then consider these medical apps instead.
While there is no audio content on BoardVitals like there is on Audio Digest, the medical content of BoardVitals’ library is engaging and can be reviewed nearly anywhere.
Just not while you are driving. Or operating heavy machinery. Or operating in general; no offense but your phone is nowhere close to sterile.
On another note, BoardVitals offers the second largest CME with gift card option on the market. CME Pro Plus comes with an Amazon gift card or prepaid Visa card of up to $3,000.
BoardVitals CME Specialties
Addiction Medicine | Anesthesiology | Cardiology | Child Neurology | Child Psychiatry | Dermatology | Echocardiography | Emergency Medicine | Family Medicine | Gastroenterology | Hematology and Oncology | Hospital Medicine | Internal Medicine | Nephrology | Neurology | Nuclear Cardiology | OBGYN | Orthopedic Surgery | Otolaryngology | Pain Medicine | Pathology | Pediatrics | Preventive Medicine | Psychiatry | Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine | Radiology | Sleep Medicine | Sports Medicine | Surgery | Urology | See All Specialties
Board Review Specialties:
ABA BASIC
Addiction Medicine
Anesthesiology Advanced
Cardiology
Child Neurology
Child Psychiatry
COMLEX Level 1
COMVEX
CREOG
Dermatology
Echocardiography
Emergency Medicine
ENT Oral Boards
Family Medicine
Gastroenterology
Geriatric Medicine
Hematology and Oncology
Internal Medicine
Interventional Cardiology
Nephrology
Neurology
Nuclear Cardiology
OBGYN
Orthopedic Surgery
Otolaryngology
Pain Medicine
Pathology
Pediatric Cardiology
Pediatrics
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Preventive Medicine
Psychiatry
Psychiatry Vignettes
Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Radiology
Radiology Certifying Exam
Rheumatology
Sleep Medicine
SPEX
Sports Medicine
Surgery
Maintenance of Certification Specialties:
Cardiology MOC
Child Neurology MOC
Child Psychiatry MOC
Dermatology MOC
Emergency Medicine MOC
Family Medicine MOC
Gastroenterology MOC
Internal Medicine MOC
Neurology MOC
OBGYN MOC
Otolaryngology MOC
Pathology MOC
Pediatrics MOC
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation MOC
Preventive Medicine MOC
Psychiatry MOC
Radiology MOC
Sports Medicine MOC
Surgery MOC
Audio Digest CME Summary
Key Features:
- Access to 4,300+ CME credits available
- Download & listen to medical lectures as new ones are added monthly
- Delve into the latest updates in 17 specialties on any device
- CME subscriptions of up to 24 months
- Free gift card up to $3,000 (+ extra $100 from Modern MedEd)
Audio Digest CME
Audio Digest has been around providing quality audio CME for decades now.
However, just because the company is probably older than you doesn’t mean they aren’t innovators in the CME world.
Not only are they available as online CME, but they also have an app you can download on the App Store or Android, so you can listen on the go.
Audio Digest is perfect for those with long commutes or other monotonous, time-intensive parts of their daily routine.
My commute used to be an hour to 90 minutes each way if I was lucky, and let’s just say the luckiest I got was getting out of a speeding ticket.
I only wish I had subscribed to Audio Digest back then.
Either way, once my commute shortened, I still pulled the trigger and I’m glad I did.
The lectures are top-notch and I have no problem finding time to listen, even with a business to run and a new baby, the latter of which fortunately gets the majority of my attention.
Audio Digest CME is also great for those who want CME with gift card options, with $3,000 being the upper limit in this particular case.
Clinicians who need a lot of CME credits fast, or a multi-year membership should consider this option.
Additionally, healthcare professionals who want to complete their state-mandated CME in the same place as their usual CME would also find Audio Digest suitable.
Audio Digest CME Specialties
Anesthesiology | Anesthesiology for CRNAs | Cardiology | Emergency Medicine | Family Medicine | Gastroenterology | General Surgery | Internal Medicine | Neurology | Obstetrics and Gynecology | Oncology | Ophthalmology | Orthopaedics | Otolaryngology | Pediatrics | Psychiatry | Urology | More about Audio Digest CME
One possible downside is that if you are someone who can’t sit through a lecture 30 minutes or longer, Audio Digest CME may not be for you.
For shorter audio lectures, make sure to check out Oakstone CME offers.
The Audio Digest Foundation Membership app is a nice touch, and a key part of the experience in my opinion.
While its rating on Google Play is a dismal 1.7 stars, it’s not clear to me why that is.
I never experienced more than some minor, nearly forgettable glitches, if you can even call them that. I used the app on two different Android phones (a 4-year old Google Pixel XL and more recently, a Samsung Galaxy S20 5G Ultra), and I survived just fine.
For Apple users, the app seems to be much better, as it has an average rating of 4.7 stars. I’ve never had an iPhone, so I can’t tell you anything new here.
Choose your Audio Digest CME subscription level here for an extra $50 or $100 gift card.
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Verdict: Audio Digest CME or BoardVitals
The CME option that would be best for you depends on the key features you want and your personal learning preferences.
To summarize, if you have a long commute and want to maximize ‘windshield time,’ or otherwise find listening to your CME effective, then Audio Digest is the clear answer. If you can’t find something that meets your needs with ADF, check out our other audio CME finds!
If you need a lot of CME credits in a short amount of time or prefer a more interactive format, BoardVitals CME question banks will likely be a better fit for you.
For those who would rather attend a CME conference, use a point of care CME app, or do some really unconventional CME, you may want to keep looking.
You can also check out more in-depth CME reviews as well as part 2 of this series: VisualDx vs MDCalc.
Further Reading
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